February 2005 Archives

By Matthew H. Murray -

When President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President George W. Bush met in Bratislava last Thursday, Bush managed to focus attention on the need for democratic reform in Russia. Prior to the summit, many observers foresaw a possible ideological rift between the two leaders reminiscent of the Cold War. In his inauguration speech, Bush sweepingly declared that the United States would champion liberty and challenge repression in every corner of the globe.

University of International Business and Economics
Beijing, 24 February 2005

In this speech to the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing European Commissioner for Trade Peter Mandelson argues:

- That “there is no greater challenge for Europe...than to understand China and to forge new ties of partnership” with it.

- That China’s new trading power carries with it new responsibilities. China has benefited from WTO membership and now has a key leadership role in a successful Doha round. China’s DDA contribution will be crucial to a successful round.

- That China can show its commitment to the WTO system by, among other things, acting to moderate the rate of growth of textiles exports to avoid a sudden surge, and by improving the enforcement of it legislation protecting intellectual property rights.

By Robin Emmott -

NUNOA, Peru, Feb 23 (Reuters) - In the barren altiplano of Peru's southern Andes, officials wrestle with the woolly bulk of an alpaca, implanting a microchip behind its ear.

The device to track its movement is part of an effort to stop the illegal trade of the gentle animals, prized all over the world for their fine wool.

By Vance McCarthy -

The team behind the MySQL Open Source database has launched an enterprise program designed to make it simpler and easier for enterprise IT staffs to adopt MySQL. The program, dubbed MySQL Network, provides both optimized MySQL technology, services and "fast track" answers to technical and licensing questions surrounding MySQL. MySQL Network reflects MySQL's sensitivity to the differences between early adopters and the needs of the new breed of enterprise user.

Geneva, Feb 21 (Prensa Latina) The head of the Cuban Mission before international organizations in Geneva, denounced the United States for violating intellectual property standards in the case of the Cuban brand Havana Club.

In a meeting of the Organ for the Solution of Disputes in the World Trade Organization (WTO), Cuban representative Celia Labora maintained that with the approval of Section 211 of the US law of appropriations, extended the blockade on her country.

By Brian E. Clark -

MADISON – Digital data thieves abound.

According to industry reports, more than 36 percent of all software – worth tens of billions of dollars – installed in computers is pirated by bad actors every year.

Prashanth Darba, who runs a start-up in Madison's University Research Park called SmartSoftKey, is on a crusade to impede their devilry. His enterprise, started in 2003, won the Governor's New Minority Business of the Year for 2004.

Allgeier expresses some confidence following meetings in Geneva

A senior U.S. trade official says he is somewhat confident that the 148 member countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO) can conclude negotiations on a new global trade agreement by the end of 2006. Peter Allgeier, deputy U.S. trade representative, made the comment at a February 16 briefing in Geneva at the end of a two-day WTO General Council meeting, which followed a meeting of the Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC), the group that oversees the negotiations.

During the month of January the value of more than 53 Million counterfeit items sold and seized was $748,800,854 USD from 256 incidents. As reported by Gieschen Consultancy, intellectual property theft (counterfeit brands, trademarks and copyrights) now accounts for 31% ($159 Million) of global counterfeit incidents. 44% of these include fake products which use unauthorized trademarks, and 56% represent copyright infringement or piracy.

Based on the past month of worldwide counterfeit enforcement activity (investigations, raids, seizures, arrests, charges, convictions, sentences, civil litigation, public announcements), as reported through the DOPIP Security Counterfeit Intelligence Report, more than 256 incidents were analyzed from 42 countries.

By Kevin Poulsen -

FBI surveillance experts have put their once-controversial Carnivore Internet surveillance tool out to pasture, preferring instead to use commercial products to eavesdrop on network traffic, according to documents released Friday.

Two reports to Congress obtained by the Washington-based Electronic Privacy Information Center under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that the FBI didn't use Carnivore, or its rebranded version "DCS-1000," at all during the 2002 and 2003 fiscal years. Instead, the bureau turned to unnamed commercially-available products to conduct Internet surveillance thirteen times in criminal investigations in that period.

SAN FRANCISCO --(Business Wire)-- Feb. 14, 2005 --

First to Combine Document and Email Protection in a Single Enterprise Solution

Delivers the Widest Range of Enterprise Integration Including Compliance/Archiving, Content Management and Mobile Email

By Roy Mark -

There was a tech boom in Washington this week as IT executives from around the country trekked to Capitol Hill, just as Congress is beginning to ponder the need for telecom reform, improved cyber security, intellectual property rights and consumer online privacy.

The executives testified before Congress, met with White House and government agency officials, hosted dinners and parties and manned a small tech trade show.

By Leigh Phillips -

Brein, the Dutch entertainment industry’s anti-piracy foundation, is coming down harder on persistent internet uploaders who offer free films, games and music through peer-to-peer (p2p) services such as Kazaa.

Brein has sent around 300,000 warning e-mails to internet uploaders since last August. This week, it escalated its anti-piracy campaign with sterner messages to those it views as persistent offenders and is prepared to back its words with compensation claims and legal action, if necessary.

by Elisabeth Horwitt -

FEBRUARY 08, 2005 (SNW ONLINE) - Data security is a must for Transend Business Services, a provider of Web-based managed business transaction services located in Chicago and Ottawa.

As part of its services, the company stores and archives massive amounts of sensitive data regarding its clients' customer transactions. The company defends itself with multiple layers of firewall security, as well as VPN tunneling for data replicated between the company's data centers.

By David Becker, News.com -

A total of $26,500 for a piece of undeveloped land in an unpopulated but potentially prosperous new suburb? What's not to like? Except that the property exists solely on the servers of Project Entropia, a computer game where players exchange real-world money for in-game goods, services, and property.

Almost every major online game has an in-game economy where players exchange in-games goods for in-game currency. Most also have a real-world economy, where in-game currency and goods trade hands for hard cash.

By Charles Cooper CNET News.com -

Commentary - Just when you thought politicians in Washington, D.C., could not be more out to lunch, here come House members Henry Hyde, Duncan Hunter and Don Manzullo to prove that stupidity should be reclassified as a contagious disease.

Hyde, Hunter and Manzullo have successfully pressured the government to begin a review of the sale of IBM's PC business to China's Lenovo on national security grounds. Who knows? Maybe the U.S. market will be flooded with notebooks that default on boot-up to readings from Mao's Little Red Book.

Progress evident in 2004 performance, but substantial agenda remains

Three years after its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), China has made considerable progress in meeting commitments to liberalize its trade, distribution, and investment practices, but the overall record remains uneven, according to Shaun Donnelly, deputy assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs. Donnelly assessed China's compliance with commitments made in its December 11, 2001, WTO accession agreement in testimony he delivered February 3 before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC). The commission sponsored a two-day hearing February 3 and 4 on "China and the WTO: Assessing and Enforcing Compliance."

The war of words between Microsoft and the open source movement heated up this week as Linux founder Linus Torvalds led an attack on software patents.

In a panel discussion at a Linux summit in California Mr Torvalds said software patents were a problem for the open source movement.

Mitchell Kapor, chairman of the Mozilla foundation, warned that Microsoft could use patent lawsuits in the future.

By Colin Holland -

LONDON — Loughborough-based electronics manufacturer Datalink Electronics is setting a joint venture with Rolls-Royce and private investors to develop an signature verification device.

Sign Assured is being set up to develop, manufacture and market the signature verification device using intellectual property from Rolls-Royce and Datalink’s research, development and manufacturing resources.

The global counterfeit business is out of control, targeting everything from computer chips to life-saving medicines. It's so bad that even China may need to crack down.

A year and a half ago, Pfizer Inc. (PFE ) got a disturbing call on its customer hotline. A woman who had been taking its cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor complained that a new bottle of tablets tasted bitter. She sent the suspicious pills to the company, which tested them at a lab in Groton, Conn.